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CINCINNATI — The pleasant stroll the Reds were taking through a National League divisional
series took a turn into the part of the woods yesterday where the wild things are.

The San Francisco Giants, who looked toothless in losing the first two games of the best-of-five
series at home, showed a mouthful of incisors while pulling even at two games apiece with a second
straight victory at Great American Ball Park.

The 8-3 mauling in Game 4 included three home runs by the revived Giants’ offense and a
masterful relief performance by two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.

The Reds now have to win Game 5 today or face a stunning end to the season. Baseball at this
point of the season is all about survival. Rising to that challenge is half the game.

“Absolutely,” Jay Bruce said. “If you don’t, you’re in trouble. You can’t be scared. You can’t
be too nervous. Obviously, I think everyone’s nervous. But that’s a good thing in my opinion. The
adrenaline is going to be going. Yeah, it should be fun.

“They’re here for a reason. We are as well. It’s 2-2 for a reason. We were successful the first
two games. It’s been baseball in a nutshell (in) this series. We have a chance. That’s all you can
ask for.”

Mat Latos is starting Game 5 for the Reds, who officially lost staff ace Johnny Cueto to a
strained right oblique muscle before the game. He was taken off the active roster and replaced by
Game 4 loser Mike Leake. Cueto was injured eight pitches into Game 1, which the Reds still won 5-2
partly because Latos made the first relief appearance of his career.

Injuries have been a hallmark of this season for the Reds. They lost closer Ryan Madson to Tommy
John surgery in spring training and first baseman Joey Votto to knee surgery for six weeks in July
and August and still won 97 games and the NL Central.

“We just fight,” Latos said. “We know what we’re capable of doing and we go out there every day
and fight. It’s a team that I’m comfortable with, a team that I’ve faced before.”

The Giants are fighting as well. They had scored four runs over the first three games, but still
managed to win 2-1 in 10 innings on Tuesday.

Angel Pagan led off against Leake with a solo home run and Gregor Blanco added a two-run shot in
the third. Pablo Sandoval sealed the victory with a two-run homer off Jose Arredondo in the
seventh.

The Reds stranded five base runners in the first two innings. They missed their biggest chance
in the first when Votto singled with two outs and Barry Zito issued three consecutive walks to
force in a run. Zito, however, struck out Dioner Navarro to end the inning.

Lincecum (1-0), who lost his rotation spot for performance reasons, took over with two outs in
the fourth and struck out six over 41/3, two-hit innings to earn the victory. He understood the
challenge.

“We’re playing for a different reason than just the season … to get to the NLCS and further,”
Lincecum said. “The idea is to win.“If that means winning with a big pitching staff or with 10 guys
off the bench, we’re here to leave it on the field.”